New motorcycle records set at Bonnevile Speed week

It was at least 117 degrees at the motorcycle tech inspection stand at the Bonneville Salt Flats near Wendover, Utah during Speed Week. The Bonneville Speedway is the venue for numerous land speed records that are typically set each year.

Team Falkner Livingston arrived when the salt was still largely covered with water. “The heat was a good thing,” said Becca Livingston of Team Falkner Livingston. “Each hot day the water evaporated more and more, leaving behind two good courses. It was a great event actually, with lots of records set and only two crashes. One with injuries and one without, but luckily all were recoverable.”

 Jason McVicar of Team FL  in pic 1

Team Falkner Livingston did well and set several new land speed records. “Like all our FL race bikes, our motorcycles at the Salts were equipped with K&N Oil and Air Filters,” said Livingston. “Our CBR 600RR Honda with IHI Turbo running             

650cc, Modified Partial Streamliner, Blown Fuel set a new record of 170.032 mph with FL Rider Dusty Schaller. Dusty was a rookie to the Salt this                        year.” Kelly Boltz, also a rookie for FL, set a new record of 152.013 mph in the 3000 cc Production/ Production class on a Rocket III.

Paul Thede of FL had a new personal best speed of 198.7 mph on a Kawasaki ZX-14. Thede set a new record of 196.604 mph in the 1650cc Production/ Production class.

Bonneville Speedway is marked out at the start of every summer by the Utah State Highway Department. Two tracks are prepared, a 10 mile long straightway for speed trails and an oval for distance runs. There is also a 4 mile long straightway for qualifying. 

“The most exciting record was set by FL rider Jason McVicar of Vancouver, British Columbia,” said Livingston. “Jason is a very experienced rider who set seven new records at this year's Speed Week.

Jason McVicar set 7 records at Bonneville Speed Week in pic 2 

Four of those records were in the 2000cc class, and three were in the 1650cc class. Jason had a top speed run of 250.133 mph which established the first SCTA record over 250 mph on an open wheel motorcycle.

Story & Pics : www.knfilters.com

2009 Pulsar Upgrades

Bajaj Auto is planning to upgrade its current set of pulsar bikes for their 2009 launch. It’s expected that P200 will be fuel injected and P220 in all matt black like P200 n P180. Bajaj should have already done these changes while launching their respective models. Indian motorcycling has a got a right push in the technology segment from Yamaha India. I wonder when the Bajaj n Hero Honda will implement monocross suspension in their bikes. The P220 in chrome which was displayed in auto expo 2008 looked very cool. Bajaj had also showcased there P180 in flaming orange colour just like the recent Yamaha Fz-16 n the TVS Apache F1.If Bajaj introduces monocross suspension along with the chrome P220 and the orange colour P180,bike lovers will definitely rejoice. 

Rossi claims MotoGP title

Italy's Valentino Rossi stormed to victory at the Grand Prix of Japan of Sunday, claiming his sixth MotoGP world championship.

The Italian clinched his third world crown for Yamaha and his first since 2005 at the manufacturer's home circuit having set off from fourth on the grid.

Rossi has now won six premier-class titles as he also won the 500cc category before it became the MotoGP division - as well as the 125cc and 250cc classes.

Rossi, riding a Yamaha, pulled ahead of defending MotoGP champion Casey Stoner of Australia with 11 laps to go and won the race with a time of 43 minutes, 09.599 seconds, 1.943 seconds ahead of Stoner after 24 laps.

Spain's Dani Pedrosa was third, 4.866 seconds back, while pole-sitter Jorge Lorenzo, also of Spain, was fourth. It was Rossi's eighth victory of the season and fifth straight since he took the United States Grand Prix in July. He came into Sunday's race needing just a podium finish to claim the title, his first since 2005.

With three races left in the season, Rossi has 312 points, 92 ahead of Stoner.

Sunday's race quickly became a contest between Stoner and Rossi as the two riders opened up a comfortable lead ahead of the pack.
Pic: www.skysports.com

YAMAHA RIDERS UNVEIL NEW R1 IN LAS VEGAS

All four Yamaha MotoGP riders took part in the global unveiling of the all-new Yamaha R1  in a suitably glittering show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fiat Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo, plus Tech 3 Yamaha team-mates Colin Edwards and James Toseland were surprise guests at the unveiling, which took place in front of 3000 Yamaha US dealers at the famous Mirage Hotel.

The all-new version of the R1, Yamaha's premium performance road bike, is more closely linked than ever to the YZR-M1 on which the four riders contest the MotoGP championship. The riders each came on stage aboard a different colour version of the machine, before being interviewed about it's qualities in relation to their own MotoGP bikes.

Next stop for the foursome will be the Japanese Motor Speedway for the MotoGP race at the famous venue, which takes place this Sunday.


Valentino Rossi

"This is a great bike, it's very like my M1 and it's exciting to see so many MotoGP qualities now appearing on a bike for the road. I think everyone who loves the R1 and Yamaha will be very excited about this new version, it's fantastic!"


Jorge Lorenzo

"I think this bike will be very popular. Yamaha have worked very hard to try to make it as like our M1 as possible and it seems they have done a fantastic job. The cornering and agility especially is great, which is of course one of the best qualities of the M1."